Social Media as a 'Hole'

We have learned that marketing in social media has become a crucial part in today’s competitive market.  With 73 percent of individuals are consuming some form of social content on a regular basis, this leads to powerful branding and growth opportunities.  Many companies have already taken on the challenge of joining social media marketing and many have had excellent results. However, for all the successes there are just as many who have fallen into the social media “hole”.   

There is no discrimination when it comes to joining the hole from small startup companies to larger well known corporations such as KFC or Kmart.  One example is JP Morgan who launched an #AskJPM aimed largely at students interested in investment banking. However, what they received was a tremendous amount of negative feedback which led them no other choice but to cancel the campaign. Twitter then created hashtags,  jokes, or loaded questions about the companies business practices. Needless to say JP Morgan entered the hole of social media, what started out as an enthusiastic idea  quicklybecame a negative campaign for the company.

 Here are some common trends to avoid when using social media to avoid entering the 'hole'.

1. Do NOT ignore LinkedIN

Many companies have utilized Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, but often leave LinkedIn as forgotten. LinkedIN allows users to create company pages for branding and creates a presence for high level income earners on a social media network. LinkedIn allows you to target the exact people you are hoping to do business with.  The common idea is to keep a private profile, however if it is not private you are allowing more exposure to your products and services.

2.  Keep Channels Separate....NO!

You want to avoid figuring out just one or two social media platforms, but  rather combining all social media channels and monitoring their activity as a whole on a regular basis. Often times companies will only focus on one platform for example Facebook which is a great marketing platform but it is also the most completive. You want to create a presence on as many platforms as possible while still tracking and interacting on a regular basis.  

3. Everyone and Everything

The common idea is to talk to everyone; about everything after all they could all be consumers…right?  WRONG! Be selective with your audience, and beware of your content. Good rule of thumb is if you’re questioning it, you should probably hold back. Companies often dig themselves a hole when creating unnecessary conversations on social media.  Your company should have specific usage areas  in place such as customer service or a chat system which is much more effective than social media to address certain issues or concerns.   

4. News, News, News....UNFOLLOW!

The only exception is if you're a news agency but for all others your followers aren't coming to your page for the local or national news! Often times companies will post latest news as part of their posts to social media, but followers don't care what your political views are, or who you're rooting for to win the Super Bowl. In fact this can get you more negative feedback than positive relations. Always keep in mind what people were trying to fin when looking for your brand or what it is they liked about your brand or services these are much better things to focus on. High impact with low volume messaging this is the key.

 

 Your audience is expecting you to provide a certain type of content, so give it to them! The minute you stop giving it to them you are no longer effective, meaning you have fallen into the social media hole.

Brieanna